Comment from Sierra Club Florida

On behalf of Sierra Club Florida and our members and supporters across the state, we respectfully submit these public comments urging NOAA Fisheries to maintain full Endangered Species Act protections for the Rice’s whale. As one of the most endangered marine mammals on Earth, with an estimated population of only about 50 individuals remaining, the Rice’s whale faces an urgent risk of extinction without strong federal safeguards. The enclosed 831 public comments reflect broad public concern for the future of this species and strong support for NOAA’s continued role in upholding the Endangered Species Act. Floridians and Gulf Coast residents understand that the Rice’s whale is part of the Gulf’s natural heritage and that its survival depends on science-based decision-making, habitat protection, and meaningful action to reduce threats from offshore oil and gas activity, vessel strikes, noise pollution, and other industrial pressures. We ask NOAA Fisheries to include these comments in the public record and to ensure that the Rice’s whale continues to receive the strongest protections available under federal law.